Prom
by unanymousdeen
Summary: Prom was hypothetically the most nerve-wracking event to take place in a teenager's young life. You had to come up with the cutest, most romantic way of asking in hope that people would cheer and take pictures to show to their friends and make each other jealous of how adorable your "proposal" was. AU. Tali'Zorah/Shepard (M).


**It's prom season and I just had to write this.** **End of story ;)**

**Everything that happens here is downright copied from my experience. I think you'll like it and even find some parts funny. I enjoyed writing this.**

**Also, this will be a two-part installement (maybe even three), meaning it'****ll have multiple chapters. **

**Let me know what prom was like for you guys, and how you got asked :D Everyone has a different story and I'd love to hear each one, if you don't mind sharing. Prom is always full of excitement. My favorite part is watching how people ask. It's something new everytime! There's always crowds, too, and screaming teenagers, lol. **

**This is an AU, if someone didn't catch that. The quarians and volus don't need their suits or anything. All the races in the Mass Effect world are here and coexisting all on Earth as one population. This story, though, takes place in the United States, where there is no primary race. It's all mixed. So, this high school has humans, turians, quarians, salarians, etc.**

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Prom was hypothetically the most nerve-wracking event to take place in a teenager's young life. For girls, it was the entire process of waiting and hoping that maybe, just maybe, that cute guy from your physics class would ask you and the world would suddenly revolve around buying the most beautiful dress and getting your mom to help you with your hair. For guys, it was the anxiety of the _asking_ because you never knew if she would say "yes" or if she was already taken. And then you had to come up with the cutest, most romantic way of asking in hope that people would cheer and take pictures to show to their friends and make each other jealous of how adorable your "proposal" to prom was.

Some guys brought girls flowers that they could carry around all day and show off how sweet their boyfriend was. You could honestly compare it to a marriage proposal. The aura coming from someone who got rejected was like feeling the depression of a classmate who just lost their grandmother to some debilitating illness. Other men, though, would come up with the cutest ways to ask their special girl, and would get flat-out rejected. It hurt even the witnesses.

Prom was only for the seniors at this high school. It was a one-time deal, where if you didn't ask someone, you'd end up going with friends who never asked anyone, or with the other rejects. It costs about forty dollars more to attend prom alone.

There also were those girls who absolutely knew their boyfriend was going to ask so the proposal wasn't anything that they didn't see coming. Some nearly had panic attacks when their boyfriend's didn't ask. "He's going with another girl!" or "Why wouldn't he want to go with me?" or crying. It was hysteria, but not to be blamed. Prom was apparently life-changing.

The way he asked her had everyone on their feet.

_Amongst all the ruckus and distracting noises coming from all around the cafeteria, there was a sudden silence towards her side. At least twenty-six students were lined up near the exit, a piece of paper in each of their hands._

_Many pupils turned their heads to observe and wonder what was going on. Some already guessed that it was an invitation to prom. It was that time of the year. This one was a rather new system of asking._

_People at the farthest end were standing on the tables, and many crowded around the students who now rose their pieces of paper. Each pamphlet had a letter on it, and together, they all spelled out "Will you go to—" and then at the very end stood a tall, nervous young man with roses and his paper that said "Me?" _

_The cafeteria by then went silent. Her group took notice of the difference in volume and turned themselves to observe what was going on._

_As she took the time to read down the line of people, others were gazing at her. _

_Tali's jaw dropped._

_John was standing there, trying his best to smile and look completely not nervous. It was almost funny. The anxiety painted on his features was a clear sign that he was edgy and had been edgy for probably the entire morning. _

_She smiled, feeling a little tense herself. Of course she was going to give him the news he wanted to hear, but all these people were watching—literally staring at her as she moved. They really wanted to know how everything was going to turn out, and had cameras to record her answer._

_His smile was softer now, and hers grew a little more. This was really cute, she had to admit. He got his entire history class to help. And half the school was watching._

"_Yes." She said, nudging his chest with her small fist. _

_His sigh of relief was most definitely covered up by the cheering and applauding of their fellow classmates, as well as that endearing smile. He pulled her into a hug, kissing her on the lips and then placing those wonderful scented roses in her arms. They smiled at each other, his anxiety gone and the tension in the air released. _

"_There's no way in hell I'm not taking a picture." Jack said, pulling out her smartphone and opening her camera app after jumping out of the seat. "Smile!" She called out at the two love-birds. They both turned and beamed. _

_After she got her snapshot, Jack shook her head. "Finally got the balls to ask, huh?"_

_John scratched the back of his neck, chuckling. "Yeah, guess so."_

_By this time, his classroom was piling out of the cafeteria and the observers were directing their attention back to lunch and friends. A few of John's colleagues came by a clapped him on that back in congratulations._

"_I should probably head back to class." He muttered, pointing towards the door. _

_Tali smiled and looked down to the floor, then back up. Her eyes were glistening, fingers curling around the flowers that she would have to display in a nice vase at home. "Thank you."_

_He chuckled, pulling her in for one last kiss before saying goodbye and returning to the classroom. _

_Tali reunited with her friends back at their table. They all smirked madly at her. "You're really lucky, you know that?" Ashley laughed._

"_Really fucking lucky."_

It still made her smile.

The day before prom, Jon and Tali had taken some time to discuss their plans for dinner and photos before leaving to the occasion.

"My mom wants to take pictures." Tali chuckled. "Lots of pictures."

John smirked. "So does mine. She's threatening to come over to your place before I get there, just to film my face when I see you."

She smiled again, and he kissed her, wrapping an arm around her slim waist. It wasn't long, though, before a certain brunette walked by rather quickly.

"Let's go, princess." Jack said, grabbing Tali's wrist and pulling the girl away from her boyfriend. Tali laughed, waving back to him.

"I'll see you later."

John smiled, saluting her back. "You, too."

Tali looked over to Jack, who was frowning at her. "How many years have you two been going out?" Ten years? Shit…"

"Five, actually."

"It's time you get a room."

"Already have."

Now _that_ made her stop. Jack's eyebrows skyrocketed and her jaw dropped down to the floor. "Wait a minute." She combed back her hair, looking up at the ceiling. "You _what_?"

Tali smirked and kept walking, tossing her hair behind her shoulders with that "in your face" kind of attitude that made her best friend redirect her attention back to reality.

"Are just saying that to impress me?"

The quarian froze, turning around and putting her hands on her hips. "You heard me." She whispered the next part. "I'm not a virgin."

Jack was still stupefied. She didn't think that girl had it in her. How many times had they done it? More importantly:

"What was it like?"


End file.
